MAM
Cleartrip Reports Strong Summer Travel Booking Surge
Hotels jump 80 per cent, 5-star bookings up 108 per cent, family stays rise 125 per cent as Indians plan premium vacations.
MUMBAI: Cleartrip has caught Indians with their suitcases open and wanderlust switched on. The Flipkart-owned online travel platform’s flagship Nation on Vacation (NoVac) event has revealed a robust start to the summer travel season, with travellers showing a clear appetite for better experiences and willingness to spend more. Hotel bookings led the charge with an impressive over 80 per cent growth. Within this, 5-star properties recorded a sharp 108.2 per cent increase, while family hotel bookings soared 124.9 per cent, signalling a strong comeback for shared family getaways. Air bookings rose over 20 per cent and bus bookings climbed over 35 per cent.
Domestic destinations continue to dominate, with strong interest from Tier 2 and 3 cities. Jaipur, Lucknow, Udaipur, Rishikesh, and Varanasi emerged as favourites, while the Northeast is gaining fresh traction with rising bookings to Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Imphal, and Agartala. Solo women travellers within India increased by 31.9 per cent.
Event-led travel is also shaping plans, with IPL matches in Guwahati driving noticeable flight surges. Overall, Delhi topped domestic bookings, while Bangkok remained the most popular international destination.
Gen Z travellers are leaning towards Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad domestically, and Bali, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, and Singapore internationally. Emerging corridors such as Navi Mumbai, Darbhanga, Leh, and international spots like Nairobi, Milan, and Lisbon are seeing healthy growth thanks to better connectivity.
Payment trends show confidence, with credit cards accounting for 63.1 per cent of domestic and 48.9 per cent of international bookings. Use of Flipkart SuperCoins and Cleartrip’s flexibility products like ClearChoice Plus and Max has also risen.
Both Gen Z and Millennials are displaying similar tastes, with Bengaluru serving as a favourite launchpad for road trips and Bali holding strong as their dream international escape. Group bookings grew 24 per cent and family travel jumped 68.6 per cent, while international solo male travel rose 35.8 per cent.
This summer, Indian travellers appear ready to upgrade their holidays choosing comfort, memorable experiences, and a touch more luxury over budget pinch.
